


Crystal Bats and Childlings

by JaySketchin



Category: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Childbirth, Fighting, Gen, Gurjin has a rough day and needs a nap, Healed!Crystal AU, Juni is the gelfling in labour, Non-Descript Labour, Other, Pregnancy, Protective!Gurjin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:20:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29202744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaySketchin/pseuds/JaySketchin
Summary: Gurjin prided himself on being able to work under pressure. Garthim raids were stressful, but he always managed to keep a level head. It was because of this that he was still alive, along with many others. This time was different- this time Gurjin had to do it all while going through his first time being a midwife. Which, as it turns out, is much more stressful than he could ever imagine.
Relationships: Juni (Dark Crystal) & Original Character
Comments: 10
Kudos: 10





	Crystal Bats and Childlings

Gurjin was used to hearing the drums at this point.

The daily tradition of the Drenchen’s drum lines ended up being one of their most reliable assets. The need of being undetected made it twisted, which was still something the rest of his clan had to adjust to. When things were alright, there was silence. When there was danger, the drums began. Ever since those _things_ started attacking them, it seemed like the routine occurred twice an unum. Gelflings like his younger sisters were more easily adaptable to the change. His parents and elders struggled a bit, but they were all learning. Gurjin found himself in the former, as much as he didn’t like what the drum lines had become. They were meant to unify their hearts with each action of the day- not call for them to halt and pick up their weapons.

Yet another reason to resent the Skeksis.

This time, Gurjin had been one of the first to hear them. He was working on a sword, hammering it to his own rhythm as he had no alternative to time himself too. Then his ears had picked up the sound of the drum. His ears had grown up hearing that sound whenever he was awake, so the sudden appearance of it brought him to clarity within an instant. Within moments, his fellow clan members registered it, the other gelflings soon following. What occurred next was routine. Those who could fight took up arms and banded together to defend while those who couldn’t- such as childlings, elders, and their caretakers- ran to hide.

The assault wasn’t as heavy with Garthim, which Gurjin was both relieved and concerned of. That meant there was likely a larger horde going somewhere else, and he worried for the other settlements. What they weren’t lacking, however, was in aerial support. A swarm of crystal bats was flying above in a cluster. Their existence was a cursed one, and Gurjin felt anger for the hollerbats the Skeksis had to disfigure to create them. Their screams were warped and unnatural. It was truly disgusting.

The female gelflings who stood by to fight took to the air with their bolas, swords, and spears. Some of the crystal bats focused on the groups running towards shelter. These groups were what the males were tasked with defending, and Gurjin wasn’t going to let a single gelfling get hurt when he had something to say about it. 

A cluster of bats was pursuing a scattered group of gelflings. A childling who had to be no older than Pemma was carrying a baby in their arms and holding the hand of another. One bat lunged at them, sending them into panicked screams. Gurjin easily jumped between them, towering over the tallest of the childlings. His spear landed on the body of the bat, sending it careening into the brushes with a heavy swing. 

“Get to the treeline. _Now!”_ he ordered them. The three childlings quickly obliged, ducking under roots so the canopies could shield them from view. Another crystal bat launched itself after them, but Gurjin quickly spun on his heel and punctured its wing with his blade. “Oh, no you don’t,” he growled at it, swinging his weapon to wrench it off of him by force. He had a feeling this was going to be the rinse-and-repeat of this attack, but he didn’t let that persuade him to stop. Even if all he had was himself, he would ensure as many gelflings made it out of these woods as possible.

There was a shout behind him.

It was a sharp, quick yell and he could hear the pain in their voice. It wasn’t accompanied by any sounds of crystal bats or Garthim, so he knew it wasn’t due to an attack. Either way, his worry, and morbid curiosity had taken over him. Gurjin turned back in the direction of the noise, spear held tightly in his hand. The bats were still overhead, so he stuck to the edge of the trees to stay hidden. Eventually, his steps brought him around to another clearing. There, he rounded the corner and had to resist the urge to drop his spear. 

Gurjin recognized her, although he wasn’t entirely sure where. Her skin had a slight, greenish tinge to it, with dark brown hair covering it. Although his interest in her face was shadowed by the way she was leaning against a tree, hands clutching her swollen belly. Her face was screwed up in pain and she covered her mouth with her hand, biting it to keep herself from crying out again. Her wings were out, but hanging uselessly- it seemed like she had been trying to fly before something stopped her. “Oh, Thra have mercy. Not now… _please_ not now-” 

_Oh, sog._

Gurjin wasn’t as sharp as his sister or Rian, but he wasn’t daft. He knew labour when he saw it, even if he really, _really_ didn’t want that to be the case. He tightened his grip on the spear. “Hey,” he called out in a hushed voice. The gelfling woman gasped and looked at him, eyes wide with fear. When she didn’t move, Gurjin crossed the gap between them and took her arm. “Come on. You can’t stay here.” He moved to pull her along. 

She followed him for a few steps, then suddenly collapsed in on herself again. Her voice broke through an agonised cry as she caught herself on the nearest rock, knees trembling. “N-No, I can’t. I can’t- the baby...” Gurjin looked back, still holding her wrist as she crumpled behind him. “I-It’s the baby. It got worse… I-I can’t run fast enough...”

Gurjin eyes flickered, ears falling. He had hoped that wasn’t it, as stupid as it was to try. This was a Garthim raid- now really wasn’t the time for Thra to be throwing gelflings in labour at him. Still, he knew help wouldn’t be nearby, and he had to do his best. “Alright. Alright… wait a minute.” He grabbed his spear and hooked it over his back, then bent down. As gently as he could while being quick, he hooked his arm under her legs and back, then stood back up. 

It was noticeably harder than carrying his sisters or Rian, but Gurjin knew better than to make a comment (or judge her for it- she was carrying another gelfling for Thra’s sake). Instead, he clenched his jaw and tried to find the best way to keep her secure, then started to move. “Hold onto me.” The gelfling woman gasped when Gurjin started carrying her, grabbing his shoulder with one arm and hugging her stomach with the other.

Above them, Gurjin could hear the battle raging on. He kept his ears heightened for any sound of crystal bats or Garthim growing near. The dry grass and soil beneath his feet crunched as he half-ran between trees and bushes. The rest of the gelfling had ventured South for safety- he could get her there, then let the healers take over. Under his chin, he heard the woman let out a pained whine. She was young, probably close to his age. He swallowed the sympathy in his throat and shushed her, firm but not unkind. “You’re alright. Just hold on. I’ll get you to the others in no time.”

The gelfling woman swallowed, fingers squeezing his shoulder. “No... slow you down.” 

Her voice was quiet between what he imagined was a great deal of pain, but he understood what she was trying to say. “Don’t be ridiculous. This? This is nothing.” A tactical lie that barely made it through the strain in his voice as he weaved between gnarled tree branches. “We’ll be there soon- what’s your name?”

“Juni…”

The name was familiar to him. Gurjin furrowed his brow, unable to place it as his mind was elsewhere. Brea had a friend whose name started like that, didn’t she? “Well, Juni, I’m Gurjin. I promise to get you to the healers.” He carefully hopped over a large tree log, grunting as he lifted Juni higher to avoid the risk of dropping her. “You’re going to be alright.”

Juni nodded and tightened her grip on Gurjin’s shoulders. As they continued to run through the woods, Gurjin tried to focus on what was directly ahead of them. The crystal bats were screeching against the gelflings that struck them in aerial battles. The shadows of their grotesque wings blocked out the afternoon sunlight as they crossed through the gaps in the Dark Wood’s canopies. As much as Gurjin wanted to turn back and help, he knew his priorities needed to stay with the gelfling who was going into labour during a Garthim raid. So he kept running.

Gurjin’s attention on the ground ahead of them staggered when Juni suddenly convulsed. She cried out, squeezing his shoulders and clutching her belly with the other. She grit her teeth and buried her face into Gurjin’s chest, ears flat against her skull. Gurjin felt sorry for her. He had to guess that her partner would be a better comfort, and it felt wrong being the one she was leaning on. Still, he let her and kept a careful eye as she rode through another contraction.

“It’s alright, Juni. You’re doing great, love.” He looked up, still holding her as he searched the area. Where in Thra’s name was the rest of the group? He hoped that he hadn’t gotten turned around. “We’re close now.”

Juni squeezed Gurjin around the neck, nodding as he continued to carry her. Her eyes opened as the contraction began to cease. There was a movement above them. She looked up, then gasped as she saw the shadows move as they crossed through another slit in the canopy. “Behind you!”

Gurjin turned his head, looking back. A small collection of crystal bats had spotted their movements and were diving down. “Oh, sm- _hang on!”_ Gurjin adjusted his grip so Juni was more secure, then began to run. It was difficult with so much weight on his upper half and no hands to balance himself, but he did his best for his sake, hers, and the childling that was coming whether the time was convenient or not. There was a high pitched shriek over their head, and Gurjin’s fear spiked when he heard the crashing of branches and leaves behind them as he ran blindly ahead.

The Endless Forest was a twisted maze at this hour, and Gurjin had to hope that he was, somehow, still moving south. The bats were gaining speed, but he continued to sprint as quickly as he could manage while carrying the weight of two gelflings. There was a larger tree up ahead, set in a small clearing. Gurjin wasn’t sure how close they were to the others but he did know that the bats didn’t have much more time before they caught up with them. He couldn’t do anything with his spear stuck to his back and his arms busy. “Brace yourself!”

With another high screech, the bats descended on them. Juni obeyed Gurjin’s order and clutched his shoulders, ducking her head. One of the crystal bats lunged and missed. The other met its mark.

Gurjin cried out in brief pain when he felt the sharp feet scrape his back. The feet grappled for his spear handle. He shook violently to wretch them off, but the action sent him careening down towards the ground. Juni shut her eyes and shouted with fright as they started to fall. Thinking quickly, Gurjin spun and let himself fall on his side, catching the back of Juni’s head and pillowing her fall with his chest. 

The two collapsed just on the edge of the tree’s alcove. He grunted but ignored the soreness of landing on his spear in favor of grabbing Juni and getting her into the tree’s interior. “Stay here,” he told her, grabbing his spear off of his back. “I’ll get them off us. Take some deep breaths for me, Juni. Alright? I’ll be right back.” Juni nodded, face contorted with pain and worry.

When he was certain her location was secure, Gurjin turned back to face the crystal bats that were circling their tree. He adjusted his grip on his spear, glaring at the ugly things that fought to take away their skies. “Hey, darkerwings! Over here!” The bats screeched at him and Gurjin readied his stance. “Yeah, that’s it. C’mere…”

They dropped from the air like heavy stones. Gurjin raised his spear and dug in his heels to brace himself for the blow. The force of the bat hitting his blade held him for a moment, but he quickly recovered. Gurjin sent it sprawling away with a swing of his spear, then targeted the next one on his left. He was glad that their bodies were so small and frail that a good whack to the crystal in their skulls got rid of them. However, they were many and he was alone.

Gurjin managed to knock most of them out of the sky, but a couple remained above. He guessed that they were watching to relay his location to the others. Their time was limited, and he didn't want to waste it. "Juni!" Gurjin hoisted the spear back and ran back towards the tree. "It's safe now, but we need to get moving. Can you walk?"

His question was swiftly answered when he saw the state she was in. Juni was in the same lying position Gurjin left her in, clutching the wall of the tree and breathing hard. Her hair was messy and he could see beads of sweat coating the sides of her face. She opened her eyes, looking at him as he hovered in the entrance to the alcove. Juni opened her mouth to speak, but a gasp of pain forced her to swallow whatever words she had for him.

Gurjin swallowed. He may not have been the next leader of his clan or have a birthright, but his mother hadn't let him go without hard training in the art of healing. Labour was one of the topics she had ensured he knew well. He might need that knowledge for a partner, or if he was in a situation where he could be the only help- that was what she had told him when asked why. Gurjin shut his eyes and leaned against the frame of the tree alcove, sighing. He had a pretty strong idea of what had to happen here, but he really didn't favor their chances.

They didn't have any choice, though. Juni didn't have enough time to make it to other healers, and he couldn't risk leaving her to defend them. If there was any chance for them all to make it out, Gurjin _needed_ to do this.

"Alright. Uh..." He ducked down and got inside the alcove with her, setting down his spear beside him. "Keep your legs bent. No- don't lean back, just sit. That’s it." He paused for a moment, then unhooked his cloak, bunched it together, then slipped it behind her spine. He tried to think of what else he could do, running through the careful routine in his head.

Juni's face was still scrunched, but she looked up at him. “I-I can’t,” she urged. Her voice wavered through obvious pain. “It’s not safe. They’ll find us! I-I can move… agh!” She tried to sit up more, then stopped as an agonized whimper escaped her.

Gurjin reached over, firmly taking Juni’s shoulders. “Juni. Listen to me.” His voice was stern, but he kept a gentle grip on her. “I know that you’re scared. It’s alright to be afraid- I mean, Thra above, so am I.” Gurjin sighed. He didn’t want to use hard talk with a pregnant woman of all gelfling, but the situation called for it. “- this childling is coming _now,_ whether we want it or not. You had some time, but now it’s run out. We _have_ to do this.”

Her eyes watched Gurjin, widened and glistening with fright. For a moment, she didn’t speak and only trembled under his strong but compassionate grip. Then, with a shuddered breath, Juni nodded.

“Alright”. Gurjin let go of the breath he was holding, then moved back so he could kneel beside her. “You’re going to sit up, just like this. Now take a deep breath, like this.” He did a visual breathing motion as an example. “Inhale, then exhale. Inhale… exhale. Yes, good. That’s perfect, Juni. Keep breathing just like that.” He patted her forearm.

Juni grimaced, but continued to breathe deeply. “This- this isn’t really calming me down,” she croaked out.

Gurjin gave her a sympathetic frown. “This isn’t for that,” he explained to her honestly. “This is to help the contractions and when it's time to… well, you know.” It tore at him to see her so afraid and helpless. He wished Naia was here- she’d be much better at all of this. “When did all of this start?”

“Um, this- this morning.” Juni took another breath, wincing slightly. “I-I started just after breakfast this morning. We were… we were going to go to the healers when it got worse. But then- then _they_ showed up and we got separated.” Her eyes glazed over as if she was looking past Gurjin and into a memory.

“Were you moving about?” He asked her a question to keep her mind focused. “Walking? Running?”

Juni nodded. “Yes. He walked with me for a while… I _was_ running before you found me. I had to stop because-” She winced. “-because it hurt too much.” Gurjin hummed, nodding his head. Doing some time gymnastics in his head, Gurjin guessed that she had gone into active labour around the time of the raid. That was _truly_ poor timing. Juni’s nervous voice brought his focus back on her. “Will it get worse?”

Gurjin knew she was referring to the pain, but felt immense conflict on whether he should answer that question with honesty. Telling her the truth would likely not help her relax but give her an honest answer on what to expect. Yet Gurjin also knew omission would help her now, then become an apparent lie very soon. So he sighed, then decided to go with the former. “Yes, it will get worse.” He spoke carefully and was gentle with each word. “You’re going to be in a lot of pain, Juni- but it won’t last.”

“For how long?” Juni’s voice was wavering from fear.

That was a question Gurjin couldn’t answer. He sighed and looked away, staring at the wall of their alcove. “I don’t know.” He hated how helpless of an answer that was. “It’s different for everyone. It could be quick, or it could take a very long time. We won’t know until it’s over.” He glanced back at Juni, watching her with gentle sympathy. “You’ll be alright. I’m not going to let you do this alone.”

Juni nodded, biting her lip. He could tell that answer wasn’t helpful, but there wasn’t much else he could offer her. Only a bit of conversation, but he didn’t know what else to ask. Before he could attempt another conversation starter, Juni flinched. Her hands balled into fists and she clenched her teeth. Gurjin reached out to Juni with one hand but didn’t touch her. Her voice quivered as the cry of pain tore free. The contractions were getting worse, which told Gurjin that the baby was likely going to come very soon.

“What about your partner? When did you get separated?” He wasn’t sure how long Juni had before talking became difficult, but he would try to keep her calm and focused for as long as he could manage.

Juni winced, then frowned. “There was- we heard the drums. He had gone back to grab his pitchfork. I was holding his hand so we didn’t get lost.” Her eyes grew distant and afraid. “But then- there was screaming, and everyone was running and flying away- I lost him. I don’t know when, but I lost him. I could hear his voice, calling my name, but I don't think he heard me. He couldn’t have. Everything was so loud- you couldn’t hear yourself think.” 

He could tell she was growing anxious from the way her voice was breaking. Gurjin reached over and gently rested his palm on her forearm. “Easy, Juni. Remember to breathe. What’s his name? Tell me about him.”

Juni swallowed, looking back at Gurjin before shuddering. “His name is Daryn? He’s a Spriton. Tall- and strong.”

Gurjin hummed, then wracked his brain for a gelfling fitting that description. There was a Spriton that was nearly as tall as he was and usually fought with farming equipment. Gurjin recalled having a sparing conversation with him about something mundane once or twice. He wondered if they were thinking of the same gelfling. “Well, that’s good and all, but that’s what he looks like. Tell me about who he is to _you.”_ It was a fragile thing, to be making her talk so much now, but Gurjin wasn’t sure how else he could keep her mind off of things. She was clearly afraid of what was coming next, and he wanted to do what he could until something stopped him.

“He’s… he’s really kind.” Juni, for all the pain she was in, managed to soften just a fraction. “We met many trine ago. He had always been sweet on me, but it didn’t take me a long time either. He makes me laugh. His family had a farm in Sami Thicket, and he’d take care of the landstriders they had there before- before all of this happened.” Her smile faded. “He told me when the Conjunction happens and things get better that he wanted to make a home for us where he grew up. I-I was never happy in Ha’rar.” 

Gurjin had to smile. He didn’t have someone like what Juni was describing now, but he appreciated that someone else did. It gave him hope for the future, and the drive he needed to pick up the sword each day. Gurjin didn’t just fight because it was the right thing- he did it for Rian and his own family. He did it for childlings who deserved to grow up free and unafraid as he had. He did it so gelflings like Juni and Daryn could have a chance. “He sounds like a good one,” he said kindly.

Juni smiled at him, eyes still watering, then nodded. “The best of them,” she corrected quietly. Her smile soon faded, and her face morphed into one of sadness. “I wish he was here. He- he wanted to be with me when this happened.”

His heart panged. That was just the sort of help he had been dreading. “I’m sure he’s thinking the same thing right now,” he reminded her. Gurjin’s ears were low, sympathetic for Juni’s emotional plight and feeling rather useless. “If there was something I could do about that, I would...”

A few moments passed. Then there was a tense grip on his hand. Gurjin’s ears perked up and he looked back. Juni was watching him, squeezing his palm with her fingers. It was hard for her to be gentle with how tense and painful her body was, but he wasn’t bothered. “You _are_ doing something about it, Gurjin.” She smiled at him, weakly. “I could be alone.”

The reassurance wasn’t expected, and Gurjin’s shoulders fell in a visual display of humility. His breath escaped him in a releasing exhale. The corners of his mouth raised in a very small, slight smile. He nodded appreciatively.

The moment of peace didn’t last. Juni was smiling at him for a few seconds later. Then, with a sudden inhale, her calm faded and pain flashed across her face. Her head threw back as her body tensed up. Gurjin frowned, watching her. “You’re alright! It’s just a contr _AAH!”_

Any words Gurjin had planned to say were forgotten in an instant. Juni was still holding Gurjin’s hand from their conversation and squeezed, hard. It wasn’t hard enough to break anything, but the pressure was immense and far, _far_ greater than Gurjin ever expected the tiny Vapran woman to be capable of. He leaned forward, eyes widening dramatically as he expressed his pain vocally. It was overshadowed by Juni’s own cries of agony as the contraction continued, grip only getting worse. Gurjin supposed he understood the warning his mother gave about holding hands during labour now. Although he wished the lesson could’ve been less painful.

Eventually, it ended, and at the first instance of her grip lessening, Gurjin slipped his poor hand out of Juni’s grip. The action caught her attention, and once Juni made the connection, she gasped. “Oh, Gurjin... I’m sorry!”

“Don’t be. It’s alright.” Gurjin smiled, massaging his palm while trying his best to deflect any stress or worry Juni would garner from him. If that was how bad she had to squeeze his hand to get through the pain, he couldn’t imagine how much worse it had been for her everywhere else. Gurjin waited until she recovered a couple of minutes later, then glanced back outside the alcove. Their yelling could have attracted the attention of the crystal bats, and he was worried for Juni’s safety.

Sure enough, a few moments later he could hear movement outside. There was the sound of the beating wings and the distant, high shrill of bats. They were back. “I need to go out there,” he told Juni, looking back at her before reaching for his spear.

Juni, still sitting up and recovering from her contraction, suddenly lurched forward and reached for his forearm. “Don’t leave, Gurjin. _Please!”_ Her eyes were watering from the pain and fear of being abandoned.

Gurjin winced at his poor choice of words, leaning forward once again. “I won’t leave you,” he assured her. He rested his unburdened hand on top of hers and patted the palm. “Someone has to make sure those bats don’t call for reinforcements. I’m not sure I can handle a group of those overgrown crabs by myself.” He smiled, lightly teasing to ease the mood, then picked up his spear. “I’ll be back, I promise. _Keep breathing.”_ Juni let go of his arm, nodding, then Gurjin exited the alcove to face the swarm.

As he suspected, the crystal bats who had fled regrouped. Gurjin sighed, resigning himself to the fight, then stepped out of the tree’s shadow. Almost immediately, there was a shriek as they set their sights on him. As they did, he tightened his grip on his spear, swinging it once and catching it with his other hand to hold it two-handedly. “Come on, then!” he called out to them, slowly stepping away from the tree with a quick side glance towards it. “Are you planning on fighting, or would you rather enjoy the view from up there?”

The crystal bats only screeched in response, unable to respond. Although if they were at all capable of understanding language, Gurjin guessed they wouldn’t be interested in a conversation. He stood still, ears shifting behind him and listening for any sign of an attack from behind while his eyes watched the group above his head. His fingers adjusted around the shaft, pressing into the grooves of the sturdy, worn wood. The bluestone that stood as the head of the spear was razor-sharp, gleaming in the evening sun.

There was the sound of rustling branches behind him and above. Gurjin’s eyes moved before his head, narrowing. The Crystal Bat that was perched in the canopy dropped down and lunged for him, but Gurjin was already prepared. The spear caught its chest before it had time to change direction, stabbing through the crystal orifice at the center. The scream that came from it was ear-shattering, and even Gurjin winced. With a grunt, he threw his spear to the ground and sent the destroyed abomination into the ground meters away. 

The swarm above his head moved as soon as his back was turned. Gurjin groaned, not surprised but displeased. Turning around to face the cluster, Gurjin took time to focus on them one at a time. It was easy to get overwhelmed by many enemies converging at once, but Gurjin had sparred with multiple guards enough times to be decently prepared for the experience. His spear landed on the first bat, puncturing it through the wing. Spinning it around, Gurjin used the blunt end of his spear-turned-skewerer to send another Crystal Bat to the ground with a crushing slam.

There were still at least half a dozen more to worry about. Thinking quickly, Gurjin tried to shake the bat off of his spear. The catch of his blade was trapping it in place, and a strong shake did nothing. “Yesmit!” The sound of wings cutting through the air came up behind him, and Gurjin quickly ducked. The Crystal Bat who had attempted to grab his throat from behind missed, letting out a shrill call as it made an impact with the ground in front of him. Gurjin pointed the spear to the ground, thinking quickly and slamming his boot into the back of the bat that was stubbornly holding on to his spear. 

There was a shout behind him from the alcove. Gurjin’s heart grew heavy as he heard Juni manage through another contraction, this time by herself. As much as he wanted to abandon this Thra-forsaken battle and help her, he knew that was a foolish choice. The sharp talons scratched at his head and back. Gurjin grit his teeth and shoved the bat’s body even harder with his foot. The wind caused by beating wings was sending his locs in front of him, and it was growing difficult to see. 

“Come on… get… off!” The wing tore suddenly as Gurjin’s force shoved the bat past the blade’s catch and into the dirt. It screamed as it did so, but Gurjin ignored it. “Juni!” He glanced back at the alcove. “Are you alright?” Her yelling had subsided and that worried him.

“Y-Yes! I’m fine!” Her voice was strained. Gurjin exhaled, then focused back on the swarm above him. “G-Gurjin? I think- I think the baby’s coming!”

His blood ran cold. Gurjin stilled and his eyes went wide. Part of him wondered if he had misheard that. She meant another contraction, surely. Thra couldn’t have been that cruel to him- leaving him out here in the clearing, fighting a cluster of crystal bats, when the childling _just_ started to arrive. “Are you sure? _Now?”_ Gurjin couldn’t hide the way his voice cracked from the swift arrival of panic.

“Now!”

Gurjin swallowed, unfocusing from his fighting for a moment. In an instant, he had to reevaluate his entire course of action. “Right- now, then. _Sog._ Um…” A Crystal Bat lunged for his face, breaking Gurjin out of his dazed panic. He cried out, deflecting them. It was clumsy but it worked. “Alright! Juni, we’re going to have to do this differently!” He took a step back, watching the bats as he moved. “It’s not safe for me to move back to you. So-” Gurjin swung, cutting a bat across the eye and scratching the crystal with the tip of his spear. “- you’re going to have to listen to my voice from there!”

He wasn’t sure what Juni thought of it, only being able to hear the slight sounds of her breathing. “A-Alright, Gurjin!”

“Good! Now- _ah, Yesmit, get off!”_ A Crystal Bat had managed to claw its way onto Gurjin’s sleeve. He cried out, shaking his shoulder. When that didn’t work, he swung his head to headbutt it off of his body. That worked, and he resumed his defensive position. “You’re going to keep your breathing regulated! It can be the slow ones we did before, or faster. Either is fine, so long as it’s consistent! Then, when you feel another contraction coming, you’re going to push!” He glanced back at the alcove, then focused back on the swarm. “I’ll do my best to keep time from here.”

Gurjin didn’t hear a loud response from Juni, but he could hear her breathing remain regulated. He thought to himself of how long it had been since the last contraction. After a moment, Gurjin realized that it wouldn’t be much longer now. He began to count under his breath, listening for any sound of pain from Juni. The crystal bats, who were not at all considerate, continued to fly at him and attempt to strike him down. It was difficult to do actions that required his full body and keep track of time at once. Still, Gurjin did his best.

The Crystal Bat he had knocked away made a dive towards him. Gurjin jumped to the side, easily dodging the half-blind creation. He watched it crash into the hard soil beside him, injuring itself in the quest to do him harm. Before another step was taken, Gurjin turned to see another bat- the one he had ruined the eyesight of- careening towards him. He cried out, stepping back and turning his spear towards them, but this time it was _his_ aim that was off. 

It crashed into his chest at full force. Gurjin felt his balance fail him from the sudden weight, and he fell back. The spear, lofted between them, held the Crystal Bat by the wings over Gurjin’s face. “Argh! Thra-above!” He clenched his teeth, bracing his weapon against the sharp talons of the bat. It shrieked and the glowing, purple eye shined down on his face, a large crack running down the center. The knowledge of the crystal’s purpose came back to him, and Gurjin's eyes flashed with anger. “Yeah? You old birds enjoying this? Remember _me?_ Tell the General’s ashes that I send my regards!”

Gurjin hiked his leg, letting out a battle cry, then kicked the bat with all the strength he could spare into sending it away. The Crystal Bat was thrown off him with an unnatural squeal, kicking up dirt and grass. Not wasting a moment, Gurjin rolled to his feet and poised his spear. A lifetime in the Smerth made his aim deadly- and this time was no exception. With a grunt, Gurjin threw his spear. Instead of the one he downed, Gurjin had aimed for two bats flying up in the air. It struck the first one, with the momentum carrying it further and colliding with the second. The two bats and his spear fell back towards the ground.

As they impacted the forest floor, Gurjin turned back to the alcove. If his timing was right, now was the time. Sure enough, he heard Juni’s voice just begin to show signs of pain. “Now, Juni- push!” Juni’s cries of agony immediately intensified, and Gurjin visibly winced. He never felt jealous of a gelfling woman for having to go through this, and now he felt even more grateful for not having to. Only a few more crystal bats were remaining, but they had taken to circling him instead. Gurjin drew his longsword, tuning out Juni’s wails of misery despite the guilt it caused to do so.

Juni’s screams subsided into trembling gasps, and Gurjin took that sign to begin counting once more. “Good, Juni! You’re doing fantastic. Ease off now- we’ll do that again soon.” Gurjin eyed the bats, mentally noting them all. Four left. Counting under his breath for Juni’s sake, Gurjin readied his stance.

The circle of bats continued their spiral for a moment longer, then began their attacks. Gurjin’s breath caught and he raised his blade as one came close to him, deflecting the talons with his sword. Before he had a moment to recover, another dove down. They were coordinating their attacks so he didn’t have a chance to react properly. It was frustratingly smart, and Gurjin despised it. Preparing himself, Gurjin dodged the next attack, then swung in the direction that his ears caught the sound of wings cutting through the air. 

The blade met the body of the fourth Crystal Bat. Gurjin felt the urge to smirk as it cried over being outsmarted, falling uselessly to the ground. He shut his eyes, listening again to the sound of wings. He trusted his ears more than his sight now. His hair was a mess, he could feel sweat beading down his temples, and aching tiredness was crawling down his limbs. Still, he listened and continued to count. He couldn’t afford to stop. “Twenty, twenty-one…” There was a sound to his left and behind, and Gurjin reopened his eyes.

Again, his sword found its mark. Gurjin watched the Crystal Bat fall, then looked back at the other two. They were flying low, both aiming towards him. Gurjin narrowed his eyes, then poised his sword. He was _really_ tired, but it was close to being over, so he continued to endure for a short while longer. One more minute of this, and he could relax.

Something shifted in the flight pattern of one of the bats. Gurjin didn’t notice it initially, but soon enough it became clear that the direction had changed slightly. Gurjin followed its line of sight, wondering what it was. Then he saw the alcove behind him, and his heart sank. 

It noticed her.

“No!” Forgetting the other Crystal Bat that was still diving at him, Gurjin broke into a run to intercept its flight. He wasn’t sure if the Crystal Bat was just taking a good look at her, or planning to attack her as they did for him. Either way, Gurjin wasn’t going to let that happen. “Stay away from her!”

Gurjin jumped, fingers grasping at the large creature’s wing. The speed of its descent and his weight combined into a sharp plummet to the ground. Hitting the dirt with a Crystal Bat over his arm made Gurjin grunt from the impact. Still, they were a few meters shy of the alcove, and that was what mattered. He heard Juni cry out in fear, now able to see what was happening from this distance. “Gurjin!”

“It’s alright, Juni! I have this!” Gurjin fought to pin the Crystal Bat with his arm, reaching with his sword in the other. “Keep breathing! You’re going to push again soon, alright? Be ready for that!” Juni, although Gurjin wasn’t focused on her, nodded and tried to regulate her breathing. Although that was much harder to do now that she could see Gurjin wrestling with crystal bats on the ground in front of her.

Gurjin aimed his sword and slashed it down, striking the creature in the chest from behind. It convulsed, scratching at his arm as the talons spasmed. He hissed in pain, flinching. Then he rose back up. Not bad- at least until the last Crystal Bat tackled him from behind. Gurjin cried out, face hitting the ground as the creature landed on his spine. 

Juni cried out his name, but Gurjin ignored her. He struggled, getting onto his hands and knees. The wings and taloned feet dug into his back, tearing through his clothes like a knife to parchment. He felt his skin scrape and burn at the touch. He hollered in pain and anger. This was not working- he _needed_ a new plan. Unable to think of anything else, he eyed the nearest tree and painfully rose to his feet. The Crystal Bat still hung on, which was exactly what Gurjin wanted. He staggered and reached up and behind him, grabbing the eye of the bat to hold it in place. The roots of the tree were sturdy and old- it would be like ramming into stone. Gurjin grit his teeth, then with as much force as he could manage through the pain, slammed his back against the tree’s base.

He felt the crunch before he heard it. The bat shrieked into his ear, crying out in agony. Gurjin felt something wet hit the back of his neck, and various sharp points dig into his freshly-cut skin. Letting go and a single step forward allowed the Crystal Bat to drop from his grip, slumping to the ground in a mess of abominable creation and shards of crystal that had gone dark.

Gurjin stared at the corpse for a moment, shoulders sinking as the exhaustion began to hit him. Groaning as the pain in his back began to sink in, he shut his eyes. It seemed like his heart hadn’t stopped racing since he woke up this morning. He wished he could be in the pools at the Great Smerth and hibernate his stress away. Of course, the reality wasn’t so blissful, and Gurjin got a sharp reminder of that when Juni’s screaming reached his ears.

“Juni!” Gurjin’s ears shot up, alert as ever and he scrambled to rush back to the alcove. His work wasn’t done yet and sleeping the pain off had to wait. “Juni! What is it? Are you alright?!” Gurjin grabbed the top portion of the tree’s base, ducking down to enter, sword still raised. His eyes searched the area, frantically looking around in case a Crystal Bat made it inside. There was nothing present except for Juni in terrible pain. That wasn’t much better, but Gurjin was glad to be done with his sword.

Juni’s voice was growing hoarse from yelling, and her forehead was completely drenched in sweat. She was following Gurjin’s orders and as her contraction subsided, she eased off. She looked paler than before, and that worried Gurjin. As Juni shuddered a few gasps, grappling with her breathing patterns, Gurjin took that moment to get close to her. “You’re doing fantastic, Juni,” he encouraged her. He was too breathless and tired to speak much, but he tried to sound as strong on her behalf.

His voice brought her back to lucidity just barely. Juni looked up, trembling. “Gur...jin?” She winced. “Y-You’re alright… I thought-”

Gurjin felt guilt for not calling out sooner, then gently shushed her. He didn’t want her wasting energy by trying to talk. “I’m alright. Just a little scratched up.” The ache between his shoulder blades protested his use of the word ‘little’. “You shouldn’t be worrying about me, love. I’m not what’s most important here.” He used the fabric hanging from his wristbands to lightly wipe back the sweat from Juni’s brow. Juni looked up at him, softening through the painful worry lines. Gurjin didn’t touch her, knowing that she wasn’t in a state to ask or deny contact from a near-stranger. “Now, let’s bring this childling into Thra, hm?”

She nodded barely and Gurjin hummed in approval. With careful steps, he moved down to her legs and where they were parted. His back was to the alcove, so Gurjin kept his sword close by for ease of mind. “Remember that breathing exercise? Keep doing that.” Juni nodded, shutting her eyes, and followed along. A quick look told Gurjin that she had already made a lot of progress. He didn’t know her well, but there was a sort of pride that flowered in him. He wished that he hadn’t forced her to do the bulk of this by herself, but he was genuinely proud that Juni managed to do everything right. Still, he had nothing to give her to ease the pain, and he hated imagining how much worse this had to be for her. “You’re close, Juni. Whenever you’re ready.”

After a nod and another minute of breathing, Juni pushed. Her head threw back and her voice broke through an agonizing scream, this one worse than all the rest. Gurjin kept a watchful eye for anything that looked wrong. His ever-growing heart hated the sound of her crying, but he endured it. To his relief, there were no issues, and soon enough he saw the signs that Juni’s anguish was reaching the end. 

“Come on. Please,” he begged under his breath. The fear that something terrible would happen to either the childling or Juni reached its peak, and Gurjin’s fear took hold over his heart. He had managed to protect her this far, but now he couldn’t do anything but watch, and that thought was more terrifying than the crystal bats. “Don’t take her… Thra, please don’t take them...”

Then, just like that, he saw the childling emerge.

Gurjin let go of Juni’s knees from where he had been helping her position, attention stolen in an instant. He took the childling in his arms before it touched the dirt. His hands trembled, but he managed to cut the cord. As he did that, the sound of a wet, newborn baby’s wail reached his ears. Juni heard the sound as well, lifting her head as her eyes opened. Gurjin carried the childling as carefully as he could, kneeling beside Juni’s head.

Juni took the newborn childling into her arms in an instant, holding it over her heart. His skin was dark, like that of a Spriton’s tan, but the hair was dark like hers. Juni was shaking, but a weak smile arose on her face. Gurjin had to smile, then cautiously lifted his hands. He laid his open palm on Juni’s forehead and shut his eyes. He had held off on giving her any healing vliyaya merely because it would’ve become redundant minutes later. Now, though, Gurjin attempted to give Juni as much healing as he could grant. His own tiredness hindered him, but he still tried. Searching through her essence, Gurjin looked for as many injuries he could find and alleviated what he could.

Even though the pain wasn’t fully taken away, Juni visibly relaxed some. “Thank you…” she croaked out, fingers combing through her childlings dark hair. 

Gurjin nodded and then turned his focus on the newborn. “May I?” He reached out his hands. Juni looked at him, eyes widening in apprehension. “I’ll give him back.” After a moment, Juni nodded and carefully set the crying childling in Gurjin’s arms. Gurjin’s breath hitched at how small and light he was, but then did his work. He shut his eyes and attempted to heal whatever ailments the small one had. While doing this, he searched for anything that felt wrong or broken. To his relief, he found nothing that needed a healer's touch. Gurjin opened his eyes, then smiled at her. “He’s perfect.”

Juni exhaled, tears welling up in relief. Gurjin collected his travelling cloak and gingerly wrapped the childling in it, doing his best to clean them as he did so. Then he handed the bundled newborn back to his mother. He was exhausted beyond reason, but he was too relieved to take notice. He glanced back outside the alcove, listening for any sign of danger. The forest was quiet now, and Gurjin’s nerves settled just a fraction more.

“We’ll need to move again, and find the others. Walking will help.” Juni nodded, too distracted by cradling her son to give a verbal response. Gurjin nodded and took a kneeling position by the alcove’s entrance. He kept watch over the clearing, but continued to check on Juni and the childling every few moments to ensure that something didn’t happen. He likely wouldn’t relax fully until she was in the hands of other healers.

Thirty minutes later, the afterbirth was taken care of and Gurjin helped Juni prepare for moving. He had cut a portion of his cloak to create a sling, which he used to keep the baby on him without using his hands. Juni was noticeably weaker, exhausted, and still in pain, so Gurjin did his best to aid her as much as he could. Her wings were hanging completely limp behind her back, too tired to even lay idle. Gurjin kept one hand on the hilt of his sword, the spear retrieved and attached to his back, and the other arm around Juni’s waist to support her back. She had to lean on him quite heavily at some parts, but the three slowly made it out of the clearing and towards the South.

The trek through the Endless Forest was the second-worst one Gurjin had done. The absolute worst was his first night after Naia and Kylan rescued him from the Castle. This wasn’t as terrible for him, but Gurjin didn’t feel like this was inferior in how terrified it made him. Each sound sent him into a brief panic. The childling’s crying was keeping him awake, as was Juni having to stop to catch her breath frequently. Still, Gurjin heard no sounds of a Garthim, nor the screams of a crystal bat. It really seemed like the resistance had handled the rest without him.

The suns were fading by the time Gurjin saw the light of the resistance camp. He tightened his grip on Juni and the childling until someone noticed their arrival. Even then, he kept them both close. He was still on edge and likely would stay that way for a while still. 

A group of healers rushed to them in an instant. “She went into labour,” Gurjin explained in a hoarse voice. He was still trying to sound stronger than he felt for Juni’s sake and nodded to the baby. “The childling is alright for now, but she needs snow mint and probably some sogflower wine. Is the father here?”

“Daryn.” Juni tightened her grip on Gurjin’s shoulder pads and looked at the healers desperately. “Where’s Daryn? We got separated… Is he alright?!”

“We’ll find him,” one of the healers assured her. They ushered the three of them into the nearest tent. There the childling was properly cleaned and Juni was finally given proper healing treatment. Gurjin stood in the entrance, watching them both with vigilant, tired eyes.

Soon, he was distracted by his own reunion. Naia greeted him with a rough hit in the shoulder, then held his forehead to hers. “You idiot,” she whispered, aggravated from being worried for so long. “Did it go well?”

Gurjin nodded. “They’re both fine,” he answered quietly. He leaned against the tent’s supporting beam, watching Juni drink a thick, viscous bottle of snow mint that the healers gave her. “I was going to get her here, but we ran into the bats.” He rubbed his face, groaning into his palms. “There was a swarm of ‘em- I had to improvise. I know it was stupid, but she couldn’t run, and I had to defend us so those _things_ didn’t find her. I did my best to time it and did everything that mother said, but I couldn’t give her anything, and we-”

Naia put a hand on his chest to stop his rambling. “Gurjin. You did well.” Her eyes were soft, even if her expression was not. “She’s here now and so is the childling. You kept them alive.” She squeezed him lightly, then let go. “What about you?”

Gurjin exhaled, then laughed bitterly. “What about me? I’m not the one who pushed out another gelfling without any healing, Naia.”

“No, but you had to fight a swarm alone.” Naia leaned around his back and began to prod at the tears in his clothing along his back. “Oh, Gurjin.” She sighed. “I’ll get you some sogflower wine.”

Gurjin waved her off. “I’m fine. Just- just let me sleep it off.” He shut his eyes and ran his hand over his face, sighing with exhaustion.

“Juni? _Juni!”_

A voice from behind the twins caught their attention. A tall Spriton man- the same one Gurjin had been thinking of earlier- came charging towards the tent. Gurjin stepped aside to avoid getting run over, watching him approach Juni and the childling in her arms. He froze, midstep. Juni noticed him, then smiled. “Hello, you,” she greeted in a raspy voice.

Gurjin watched Daryn sink to his knees, then take Juni’s hand before kissing it. Even from this far back, Gurjin could hear his quiet apologies and fretting over Juni and their childling. The sight of the family reunited and in the hands of professionals was what granted him peace at last. Gurjin slumped against the tent pillar, shutting his eyes and slumping forward in exhaustion that he _finally_ let himself feel. “Thank Thra,” he muttered under his breath.

Naia huffed a small laugh at Gurjin’s tiredness. She knew his first encounter with being a midwife would be tiresome, so she found it slightly amusing now. “Come on. I need to look at your back.” She took his arm and dragged him away from the tent. As he was taken away from the tent, Juni looked away from Daryn and her son to watch Gurjin leave. She smiled to herself, quietly whispering thanks before resolving herself to spend a well-earned moment with her new family.

It felt like Gurjin was dragging stones on his feet. He blinked slowly, barely able to focus on what was ahead of them. Naia was talking about something beside him, but he was gradually beginning to lose focus on what that was. He was just _so tired._

Rian managed to catch the twins on the way to a tent where he could be treated. “Gurjin!” He ran up to them and looked at his best friend with relief. “Are you alright? I couldn’t find you, I thought something happened!”

Gurjin only managed a small hum in response. “Childing,” was all he managed to get out, sighing again.

The word brought no explanation to Rian, and he looked to Naia, now even more lost. Naia rolled her eyes. “A gelfling had her childling,” she explained.

“Juni,” was Gurjin’s second word, correcting Naia tiredly.

“Right. _Juni_ had her childling.” Naia looked at Rian. “He fought a swarm of crystal bats. I’m taking him so I can look him over- _oh, for the love of Thra, Gurjin!”_ In the middle of Naia’s sentence, Gurjin lost his battle with consciousness. He fell forward before Naia caught him by the chest and forced him back up. Rian, panicked, stepped in, and caught him under the arm to help Naia steady him. His head had fallen forward, and he was now unresponsive. Naia sighed in mild annoyance.

“Is he alright?” Rian asked worriedly, still supporting Gurjin with his shoulder.

“He’ll be fine. Just help me get him to my cot.” Naia grunted and propped Gurjin against her shoulder. Rian hesitated for a moment, then soon mirrored her. They both watched Gurjin sleep whilst standing up, then shared a look between them. It took a while, but soon he was lugged to Naia’s tent and laying on his back. Rian stood watch while Naia treated his scrapes and cuts for a while, then respectfully gave his best friend some peace. Once she dressed what needed dressing, Naia sat back and watched her twin sleep. She hummed in amusement, then patted the top of his head.

Gurjin had definitely earned this rest.

**Author's Note:**

> As a surprise to nobody, this story is nearly 5k longer than I originally intended for it to be. Who could've seen this coming? Somehow, not me.
> 
> Anyway! This story was part of a what-if scenario I had thought up a while ago. The idea was if Juni and Daryn's son (who's name is Thane, but it's not mentioned in this story) was born during the Garthim Wars, how does that work out? I then had this mental image of Gurjin having to deal with Juni's birth during a raid, and... well it was equally hilarious and dramatic, so I had to write it out. 
> 
> I hope you all liked the story! Let me know what you think in the comments- I love hearing feedback! Have a nice weekend! :)


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